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WE must admit that our present education system is not doing our nation any favours, as far as race relations is concerned. In fact, we can even go so far as to conclude that it is working against national unity.
Our Constitution, of course, guarantees us a variety of schools. There are now about 6,000 national primary schools, 1,200 Chinese primary schools and more than 500 Tamil primary schools. More and more non-Malays now send their children to vernacular schools -- for example, nine out of 10 Chinese kids enter Chinese school, it seems -- while the national schools are predominantly Malay, leading many to now refer to them as Malay schools. Thus, here we are, a fork at the road that leads to three paths, and we took all of them and if they ever meet, we will never know. Our schools are now effectively defined by races. There are exceptions of course, but exceptions do not count. Now, this cannot be good for the nation. In urban areas, our children are likely to go to the same kindergarten, but would be separated at six or seven, and for some, perhaps, to be re-united at 13. However, during the six important formative years, they would only see their kind and in a multi-racial country like ours, it should not happen. How can they make friends with kids of other races, share their food, play catch, or be on the same team if they are never together? Many will argue that there are other causes of racial polarisation, and all of them can be valid, too. But we all cannot be frozen by inertia as we wait for things to be to our liking before we act. We must strive to change because we desperately must. The first step is to admit that not having our kids in the same classrooms is not doing us, the country and the future generations, any good. Getting them together may not cure all our racial ills, but it can go a long way towards improving them. It is, of course, convenient, and at times therapeutic, to blame politicians for all our ills, but in this case we may not be too far wrong. With one hand waving the Constitution and the other leading the populist charge of the need to keep racial and cultural identities, they seem to have found comfort that keeping our children separated is actually good. In many political parties, it is burned into their characters that vernacular schools must be preserved, come hell or high water, or presumably the consequences to the nations. Our kids are being governed by our politics, ideology and agenda. Surely, they will pay for the sins of their fathers. But while some take their kids away from national schools, others stand still as national schools are being taken away from us, evolving into something that we do not recognise now. They have become as intense in championing their Malay-ness, as vernacular schools in their Chinese and Indian identities. I would consider the current situation as critical. But no one, it seems, from our alphabet soup of political parties, from either side of the aisle, seems to be seriously concerned, the Constitution notwithstanding, with the consequences of institutionalised polarisation of our seven-year-olds. Perhaps, the government should consider stopping funding new vernacular and religious schools for the very fact that their existence work against national integration. Nevertheless, as per the Constitution, such existing government-funded schools shall continue to be supported. At the same time, serious effort must be made to make national schools the destination of choice, compelling and attractive propositions for all races. Many claim vernacular schools, especially Chinese schools, are good for education. One can argue about the benefits of rote-learning, but many parents are convinced of the value. Parents also say their charges get to be in touch with their roots and learn Mandarin or Tamil. Now, if children's mother tongues are required, let's have them during school hours. If we can include Arabic into religious study, we surely should be accommodating Mandarin and Tamil. Not enough qualified teachers? Hire on contracts teachers from Taiwan, China and India, not one, but a few to a school. Similarly, national schools should encourage and push for English excellence as opposed to basic proficiency. Hire native speakers, a few to a school, too. Some of the biggest opponents of the teaching of science and mathematics in English are representatives of Chinese schools, and Chinese politicians, who want to revert to Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and Tamil. To each their own, but make sure that national schools continue with the policy. Get more non-Malays into the profession, even if there is a need for preferential treatment. Hire sports coaches, drama teachers, build swimming pools, etc. Make the schools great. Let us make strengthening the national school a national mission, like promoting integrity or abolishing corruption. It is bigger than the problem of fuel prices or urban mass transport. Most of us will be dead 50 years from now, but surely our biggest sin for the future generations would be to guarantee them a country destined to be divided.
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The English teaching in primary school is a real burden for our kids.
Mother tongue is very important, like Mandarin and Tamil. Why, India and China going to be superpower in the next decades and I have seen many Malay sending their kids even to Chinese school.
Education system should not be politicised and should not be controlled by political party such as UMNO typically.
MCA deputy minister is not doing anything good for the nation, I just ask how many chinese school have you put up so far? Even a simple Damansara you also cannot handle well.
MCA full of shame to serve our society, same as MIC.
Just let UMNO destroys our next generation.